KARACHI: Over 0.4 million branchless mobile banking accounts have been opened collectively and more than ten million worth financial transactions took place during one and a half year in the country.
"Through branchless banking, billions of funds have been transferred from person-to-person, account-to-account and government to people," said Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Yaseen Anwar, while addressing the 4th International Mobile Commerce Conference here on Wednesday.
"Banks today offer branchless services across the country in rural and urban areas with a network of over 14,000 agents," he said.
The SBP Deputy Governor said that branchless banking in Pakistan is still at its infancy, the results have been encouraging and banking needs of the masses are being fulfilled via nearby general store or mobile balance load shop or a petrol pumps or a neighborhood grocery store.
"We also have support and trust of international development agencies and stakeholders on State Bank regulated bank-led model of branchless banking," he added.
He said the Central Bank issued branchless banking regulations in 2008 and today 'we have Tameer Bank's easy paisa, UBL's OMNI, MCB Mobile, KASB Mobile and HBL-Ufone providing branchless banking services.
Technology has the potential to serve the financial needs of unbanked poor, he added.
He also stressed upon the bankers to develop aggressive marketing plans and campaigns to attract customers to visit the agent location for their banking transactions.
On the occasion, the representatives of various leading banks presented papers and experience in mobile and branchless banking services being provided across the country.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.